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Joe Murphy/NFL
Teams in need of a corner/return man haven't forgotten that Pacman Jones is a special talent.
Jones can't help himself when it comes to taking a shot on a player on whom everyone else has given up. The example he always brings up is defensive end Charles Haley, who helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the 1990s. The 49ers didn't find many takers when they were looking to unload the talented but troubled player in August 1992. The stories about his anger were infamous, and the 49ers didn't exactly try to prevent them from leaking to the press.
Former Cowboys director of scouting Larry Lacewell once told me that a note from the 49ers regarding Haley sat on his desk for four days before he took it back to Jones' office. Realizing that Haley had played a large role in the 49ers' success under Bill Walsh, Jones offered second and third-round draft picks for the former James Madison player.
Haley thrived in Dallas, and Jones has always kept that in mind when deciding whether to take chances on players with checkered pasts. Like several other owners, he passed on Randy Moss in the 1998 draft. When he signed Terrell Owens in 2006, he had Moss in mind.
In Pacman, the Cowboys owner sees a supremely talented player who can be obtained for a relatively low cost. It's unlikely the Cowboys would find a starting cornerback with rare return skills in the fifth or sixth round, which is the likely compensation in the trade.
Jones has a great deal of faith in his player development program, which is headed up by former NFL running back Calvin Hill. Last season the Cowboys signed another player with a well-documented rap sheet, defensive tackle Tank Johnson.
Johnson hasn't made it through a full season yet, but he sort of faded into the background of a team that includes tabloid magnets like T.O. and Tony Romo. The bottom line is that Jerry has never been afraid to take a risk -- especially when the price tag is so cheap.
He knows that Pacman needs the Cowboys a lot more than they need him. And that's not a bad position to be in.
LINK
Joe Murphy/NFLTeams in need of a corner/return man haven't forgotten that Pacman Jones is a special talent.
Jones can't help himself when it comes to taking a shot on a player on whom everyone else has given up. The example he always brings up is defensive end Charles Haley, who helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the 1990s. The 49ers didn't find many takers when they were looking to unload the talented but troubled player in August 1992. The stories about his anger were infamous, and the 49ers didn't exactly try to prevent them from leaking to the press.
Former Cowboys director of scouting Larry Lacewell once told me that a note from the 49ers regarding Haley sat on his desk for four days before he took it back to Jones' office. Realizing that Haley had played a large role in the 49ers' success under Bill Walsh, Jones offered second and third-round draft picks for the former James Madison player.
Haley thrived in Dallas, and Jones has always kept that in mind when deciding whether to take chances on players with checkered pasts. Like several other owners, he passed on Randy Moss in the 1998 draft. When he signed Terrell Owens in 2006, he had Moss in mind.
In Pacman, the Cowboys owner sees a supremely talented player who can be obtained for a relatively low cost. It's unlikely the Cowboys would find a starting cornerback with rare return skills in the fifth or sixth round, which is the likely compensation in the trade.
Jones has a great deal of faith in his player development program, which is headed up by former NFL running back Calvin Hill. Last season the Cowboys signed another player with a well-documented rap sheet, defensive tackle Tank Johnson.
Johnson hasn't made it through a full season yet, but he sort of faded into the background of a team that includes tabloid magnets like T.O. and Tony Romo. The bottom line is that Jerry has never been afraid to take a risk -- especially when the price tag is so cheap.
He knows that Pacman needs the Cowboys a lot more than they need him. And that's not a bad position to be in.
LINK
